As part of the planning permission for developing the old Stanton Ironworks to create New Stanton Park, the developers wanted to realign the route of National Cycle Network 67 (the Nutbrook Trail). This was approved subject to the new route being built and opened prior to any units on the new site being occupied.
In Summer 2025, the “old” route of the NCN67 was closed off so that it was no longer possible to travel from the Erewash canal towards Shipley Park. Initially the developers tried to make the old route hard to use (digging up tarmac, making it as muddy as possible) but people were still using the route. Eventually, the developers installed strong, spiked fencing so that the old route is now definitely unusable. The land used by the old route has been designated by the developer as partially meeting their biodiversity requirements and a bat house has been built on it. In a sensible world, the old route would have been kept open until the new route was opened.
The developers (Verdant Regeneration) have failed to meet this obligation since January 2025. Erewash Borough Council (the relevant planning authority) have failed to enforce the planning condition.
The Nutbrook Trail through New Stanton Park has been closed since around June 2025. Original indications were that the new route would open in August 2025 but those dates haven’t been met. The diversion route defined by the developers (for a traffic free leisure route) is to make use of two heavily trafficked roads with LOTS of heavy lorries and, in places, no footway. The diversion is also not signed. The total unsuitability of this route for a diverted traffic free cycle route makes the delay in opening the new route a public safety issue.
In March 2026 the developers submitted a planning application to install gates on the Nutbrook Trail and to lock these gates between 6pm and 7am each day. This appears to be a unique request for the National Cycle Network – no other sections seem to be subject to timed closures. The Erewash planning officers supported this application with the suggested modification of making the closure times less – 9pm to 7am – and for the closure to be temporary for an initial period of 2 years.
Various objections were raised (including from the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust and Derbyshire County Council) to this application to create timed closures on the NCN. Helen Swift, Dan Cox and Ian Dent attended and spoke at the planning committee meeting. We were pleased to see that, despite the recommendation to approve from the planning officers, the planning committee (the councillors) decided by a nearly unanimous vote (just one abstention) to refuse the application.
The route remains closed but the planning officers stated that they believe the only way forward now is to enforce the original planning condition (just 18 months late!). We look forward to this being done very quickly.
The new route could very easily be opened immediately by making use of the temporary metal fences used throughout the rest of the site to prevent public access to working areas. For whatever reason, the developers seem very loath to do this and the Erewash Council planning officers seem very reluctant to pressure the developers to open the route.
The planning committee discussion generated some press coverage from Derbyshire Live (the Derby Telegraph) and Ilkeston News